Provincial board approves MOA for presidential aid

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental has approved a memorandum of agreement between the provincial government and eight local government units affected by Typhoon Tino, clearing the way for the release of PHP 50 million in Presidential Assistance Fund from Malacañang.

Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Wednesday, Jan. 7, that the province opted to directly release the funds to the LGUs to ensure faster distribution to beneficiaries already identified by local officials.

The PHP 50 million assistance was granted by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as part of the national government’s emergency response to the widespread damage caused by Typhoon Tino, which hit large parts of Negros Occidental late last year.

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson recommended allocating PHP 10 million each to La Carlota City, La Castellana and Moises Padilla.

Bago City, Binalbagan and Hinigaran will receive PHP 5 million each, while Isabela and Pontevedra will be allotted PHP 2.5 million each.

Diaz said all recipient LGUs have completed beneficiary identification, allowing for the immediate rollout of assistance once the fund transfer is finalized.

He said the Office of the President approved the deed of donation on Dec. 23, leaving only the completion of final documentation before the bulk transfer to the LGUs.

Lacson earlier appealed for public understanding over delays in the release of the PHP 50 million cash assistance, citing incomplete documentation as the cause of the hold-up.

The funds are being distributed based on the extent of damage, with the 4th and 5th Districts identified as among the hardest hit by the typhoon.

While the provincial government will handle the fund transfer, local officials will determine how the assistance will be distributed among affected families, particularly those whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

Data from the Office of Civil Defense–Negros Island Region showed that 39,102 families, or 134,718 individuals, across 31 LGUs in Negros Occidental were affected by Typhoon Tino.

The same report estimated damage to rice, corn and fisheries at PHP 20.4 million.